Rwanda

In recent months, the Security Council has quite rightly directed considerable energy to the fight against sexual and gender-based violence. Today's open debate on sexual violence in conflict follows a similar open debate under Rwanda's presidency in April (see S/PV.6948), and one month after the Arria Formula meeting on gender advisers in peacekeeping missions, organized by Australia and Guatemala. Although we can never do enough to protect women and girls — in families, in villages, across communities and at national and international levels — we hope that debates such as these, supported by the eager participation of many States Members of the United Nations, will translate into concrete action, and that by taking action to protect women and girls from violence their key role in our respective societies will be promoted.

During the 1994 genocide perpetrated against Tutsis, women and girls were forced to endure inhuman and degrading atrocities. That memory and history inspire Rwanda in our unyielding and heartfelt commitment to eradicate sexual violence as a weapon of war and genocide. Tens of thousands of Rwandan women and young girls were raped and left for dead during the months of April to July 1994. Among those who survived, many were infected with incurable diseases, some were made pregnant, and many suffered the humiliation of having been abused in front of their families. It is deeply regrettable that many of those who committed those atrocities in Rwanda continue such practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, with total impunity.

For Rwanda's part, we have adopted a range of policies to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. One of the foremost priorities is to protect and rehabilitate the dignity of victims. That figures prominently in our national action plan on the implementation of the resolution 1325 (2000). To that end, sexual and gender-based violence centres were established at the community level throughout the country, and a 2009 law on the prevention and punishment of gender-based violence includes penalties and substantive mechanisms to empower police to deal with such crimes

The Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) considers the prevention and mitigation of sexual violence against women and girls as a key imperative across all its deployments. The RDF gender desk devises training programmes to raise awareness of sexual and gender- based violence. Those programmes have been fully incorporated into the core curriculums of Rwanda's military academies and training institutions. That is considered integral to the preparation of all RDF battalions bound for peacekeeping missions abroad. Moreover, Rwanda is among the leading contributors of female police and correctional officers to United Nations peace-support and peacekeeping missions, where they combat and raise awareness about violence against women and serve as advisers on gender-based violence, sharing best practices with officers and local authorities.

The legal and institutional framework against sexual and gender-based violence has been strengthened over time. However, as the recent report of the Secretary- General indicates (S/2013/335), sexual violence remains prevalent in armed conflict, particularly on the African continent. Ultimately, it is self-evident that the most effective means to eradicate sexual violence in conflict zones is to bring those conflicts to an end. Any comprehensive global response to the problem must acknowledge that sexual violence, while vile and unacceptable under any circumstances, is the by- product of war. Therefore, any meaningful solution must address the root causes of conflict. Furthermore, any global approach must include more effective monitoring of the commitments made by Member States to prevent sexual violence where possible and address its consequences where necessary.